


But a Heartbeat Away

by salakavala



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fix-It, Fluff, M/M, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Sibling Incest, Tenderness, brothers in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-26
Updated: 2019-01-26
Packaged: 2019-10-16 14:08:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17551139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/salakavala/pseuds/salakavala
Summary: There was a time when each morning forced Thor into yet another Lokiless day, night after night.That time is past and behind, now.





	But a Heartbeat Away

 

A sound of something small and metallic falling on the floor, loud in the slumbering night, rouses Thor from sleep just on time to hear a quietly muttered curse in the darkness. For a few moments everything seems frozen in time – then a relieved breath, and light footsteps heading for the adjacent bathroom. A dark shadow opens and closes the door carefully, and only after the nigh silent click of the handle does the narrow sliver of light appear between the floor and the door.

Thor relaxes into the mattress with a deep exhale. Loki has come home, then – or to their current room that, for the time being, serves as a substitute of home in the Avengers Tower. Stark has offered it for their personal use while they’re making plans of rebuilding and waiting for the Asgardian refugees to finally arrive. Loki was gone the entire day with Rocket, the two of them apparently testing “something that could become a solution”, whatever that means. He had said that he would be back late, and Thor, though he loathes falling asleep without Loki by his side after everything that has happened, evidently dozed off at some point, anyway.

The faucet opens in the bathroom, a thin trickle of water that Thor can hardly hear; Loki is brushing his teeth, apparently skipping the shower. Thor’s lips tug into a smile. There was a time, not so long ago, when Loki wouldn’t have thought twice about drawing a full bath, the lateness of the hour notwithstanding.

His smile fades some. There also was a time, painfully recent, when Loki wasn’t even here to indulge in long baths, heedless of other people’s sleep or not. A time that Thor spent sinking into a bottomless well, unable to draw breath, unable to feel the sun on his skin even when it shone full-force on the sky. How many times had he jerked awake at nights, to a sound that was not Loki? Even worse: how many nights had he slept through mercifully undisturbed, only to wake to a morning that counted yet another day of his brother’s lifeless face floating out of Thor’s reach, further and further away with each cruel sunrise? Indeed, there was a time when dawn was Thor’s greatest enemy.

In the bathroom, the water is turned off. The strip of light disappears in the snap of the switch, and the door opens as carefully as it was closed.

Loki emerges quietly, wearing his loose sleepwear and rubbing at his eyes. He stifles a yawn, and Thor suppresses a chuckle; yet another little habit from their long-past etiquette lessons that still sits deep-rooted in Loki. He probably isn’t even aware of it.

Thor’s heart swells with love and affection, watching his brother tiptoeing towards their bed. Loki, Thor thinks, will likely never truly understand the depth of Thor’s joy for having him once again by his side – will never understand what a privilege it is to fall asleep and to come awake to him in their shared room, in their shared bed, alive and breathing. What a miracle it is that in spite of the workings of the entire universe, in spite of everything they’ve been through, Loki is well and truly _here._

Loki slips under Thor’s blanket, as he often does despite having his own, but once he realises Thor is awake he doesn’t quite lie down. Instead he rests on one elbow, watching Thor’s face in the dark, and returns the smile that Thor offers to him. His raven curls fall like a veil around them as he leans down to place a kiss on Thor’s brow, his palm warm and light on Thor’s cheek.

“Did I wake you, brother?”

Thor smiles – can’t really help it. The truth is that he would gladly be waken a dozen times a night for every night henceforth, as long as it is to Loki.

He throws his arm around his brother, pulls him a little closer. Closes his eyes and smiles.

“I don't mind,” he murmurs into Loki’s hair, and drifts off to sleep.

He's not afraid. Dawn has nothing on him now.

 

 

 

*

**Author's Note:**

> Sometimes it happens that in spite of several wips, one night or one morning a mood strikes you, and a wholly unplanned little surprise ficlet is born. That happened to me this morning: I woke up and wrote this fluffy little thing in one sitting. I hope you enjoyed it. :)
> 
> As always, if you're interested in wip progress or random writing rambles, you can find me on [Dreamwidth](https://salakavala.dreamwidth.org/).


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